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Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla isn't a particularly chatty guy. But when he does open his mouth to the media, he's worth listening to.
The 36-year-old coach helped the C's secure their first NBA championship in over 15 years last season, and he fully embraces the challenges that come with a title defense, via the Locked on Celtics podcast.
“People are gonna say the target is on our back, but I hope it's right on our forehead in between our eyes,” he stated. “I hope I can see the red dot.”
“People are gonna say that the target is on our [Celtics] back, but I hope it’s right on our forehead in between our eyes.”
Joe Mazzulla is looking forward to the challenge of being the defending champion 👀
(via @LOCeltics)pic.twitter.com/mMtTzZkpYw
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 4, 2024
Mazzulla knows the road to back-to-back championships won't be easy. No team has won two in a row since the dynastic Golden State Warriors in 2018. In fact, no team has even repeated as conference champions since the Warriors in 2019.
The Celtics will look to change that, as they've nearly returned their entire roster. Five-time All-Star Jayson Tatum is fresh off the biggest contract extension in league history and 2024 Finals MVP Jaylen Brown signed a massive deal of his own last summer.
Fellow starters Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, and Derrick White are all back for the 2024-25 season as well. The only reigning champions not back in the green and white are shooting guard Svi Mykhailiuk, who joined the Utah Jazz in free agency, and (likely) forward Oshae Brissett:
In what could very well be his farewell to Boston, Oshae Brissett talked about how much he’d miss the city on his vlog.
“Getting a little sad … the thought of not coming back is crazy … Boston, the city of Boston, I adore you. I love you.”
(Via BrissyTV on YouTube) pic.twitter.com/Q77ot5GSZO
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) September 4, 2024
Joe Mazzulla's tendency to deliver incredible quotations
Identical lineup or not, the Celtics are the team to beat this season and will have to deal with opponents wanting to bring their A-games versus the champs.
Mazzulla understands the reality of this, but that doesn't mean he's unnerved.
For example, ahead of Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals, the New England native said that the championship series wouldn't be much different from the rest of the playoffs. He joked that unless there was some maintenance work done, the lights weren't going to be any brighter:
“I mean, unless they changed the lightbulbs in the arena they won’t be any brighter than they were last series,” Mazzulla said. “The stakes are higher, but that just means the details are more important.”
“I mean, unless they changed the lightbulbs in the arena they won’t be any brighter than they were last series… The stakes are higher, but that just means the details are more important.”
Joe Mazzulla on the Celtics’ mindset coming into the NBA Finals 🗣️
(via @danield1214) pic.twitter.com/14uEqAkQ0d
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 5, 2024
The C's proved him right, outclassing the Dallas Mavericks 107-89 the very next day during Game 1. Boston handled business at home once more by grabbing a tighter, 105-98 victory in Game 2.
With a 2-0 series lead, the Green Team had a lot to celebrate. However, Mazzulla told his guys not to get comfortable ahead of Game 3.
“If you've ever been in a fight with someone and you think you're about to beat them you usually get sucker punched,” he explained to the media with a straight face. “The closer you are to beating someone, the closer you are to getting your ass kicked.”
Joe Mazzulla with another all-timer:
“The closer you are to thinking you’re beating someone, the closer you are to getting your ass kicked.” pic.twitter.com/OHgGI99chu
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) June 12, 2024
The Celtics proceeded to take Game 3, 106-99, yet not before nearly letting a double-digit lead slip in Dallas. Perhaps they became too relaxed during Game 4 with a chance to close out the series, as the Mavs walloped them 122-84. That was the Celtics' lowest-scoring output all season.
This brutal defeat would've shaken some past iterations of the Celtics, but not Mazzulla's men. The young coach instructed his team with a simple message following the blowout loss: to have fun.
“We wanted to win so bad that maybe we got away from what makes us special, or what makes us the Boston Celtics,” Tatum revealed. “Today [Mazzulla] just reminded each guy why he's important to this team and why we all need each other … I think that was really important for us to go over.”
Jayson Tatum on Joe Mazzulla’s advice to the team:
“It’s ok to smile during wars.” pic.twitter.com/oriqOxObBv
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) June 16, 2024
Boston didn't suffer the same mistake twice. At the TD Garden, the Celtics steamrolled the Mavericks, 106-88, and never really allowed them to get back in the series-clinching showdown. With the dominant victory, Mazzulla became the youngest head coach to win the Finals in over 50 years.
Although the Celtics were just a few weeks removed from winning it all, Mazzulla went right back to work, per Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe.
“Joe [Mazzulla] was already trying to draw up s*** for next season,” Tatum said. “I was like, ‘Joe, f*** that. We just won the championship.'”
Having a head coach with such a high motor should help the C's stay motivated throughout their campaign for back-to-back rings. Pulling off such a feat will be extremely difficult, yet Boston boasts an experienced team with a head coach who is dedicated to uplifting his players.
